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My review of Goldair and Skyserv Lounges Athens, and a BA upgrade
After a nice week in Athens I’m setting off to the cold London. I used my Avios for an economy flight, and thanks to my BA status I could still use the fast track facility.
All non-Schengen flights depart from Hall A, and you pass border control first followed by the security check. Massive queue for non-EU passport, but I went through fast track in a breeze!
There are a few lounge options, all next to each other.
Aegean operates their own (Star-Alliance) lounge, and other airlines work with one of the three third-party lounges. British Airways partners with Skyserv, but after having read some reviews I decided to try out the Goldair Handling Lounge instead.
The lounge is a massive hall itself.
It is quite bright. There appears to be an outdoor area but that’s for emergency exit only. Here is the working zone:
And let’s have a look at the food and drinks:
Hot food of the day include:
- Orzo with mushrooms
- Turkish meatballs
- Vegetable soup
- Rice
Desserts look quite tasty.
I’m quite impressed by the fact that they have a dedicated shower & bathroom facility right across the alley. To be honest it looks even fancier than the lounge itself.
As I had enough time, I went for a sneak peek into the Skyserv Lounge as well. They do accept both Priority Pass and Dragonpass too.
A few random pictures:
It’s actually more beautiful than the Goldair – the different tones of blue and wavy decorations make you feel like in the Aegean sea. It is however a lot busier, probably because of its broader range of airline partners.
The buffet area is a quite small selection, with the following hot items:
- Turkish burger
- Veal with peas
- Rice
Having visited both lounges I made my way to the gate. The flight was slightly delayed so I checked BA’s app again to make sure. At this point I noticed a change to my assigned seat – I got upgraded to Club Europe!
It was a pretty full flight, so the upgrade made sense. But in case you didn’t know, the business class setup on intra-Europe flights is laughable – it’s basically exactly the same seat, but with the middle seat blocked.
There are *12* rows of business class on this flight, and I’m seated at row 7. My original seat at the exit row would have been better.
Good news is I’ve got free food and drinks for this four-hour journey. BA’s upgrade strategy is intriguing: I have been upgraded three times (the previous two on long-hauls) as Silver and Bronze, but never once whilst being Gold!
My review of the Amex Centurion Lounge, Stockholm
American Express has only two Centurion lounges in Europe, one in London and the other, quite surprisingly, in Stockholm. I’m intrigued by the reasoning behind, and as I’m flying from Stockholm I get to try it out.
Stockholm ARN is also one of the airports where Amex Platinum cardholders are entitled to security fast track. They have recently upgraded the screening technology, so you can carry large-volume liquid and don’t have to remove anything from your bag, which is a game changer. Hope all airports follow suit as soon as possible!
As you can tell from its strange name, it is a pop-up lounge rather than a conventional one. The formal lounge is still under construction so the pop-up is just a temporary alternative. If I remember correctly the pop-up was also recently relocated due to a dispute with the airport operator.
It is located at Pier F before border control.
The lounge look quite… temporary:
Thoughtful of them to have established a private section for Centurion members though:
It looks more of a restaurant than an airport lounge:
A small work zone:
Newspapers appear to be all in Swedish:
It’s a-la-carte dining only.
“Crayfish” caught my eyes immediately and I ordered it without a second of hesitation. However, it came out totally different to what I had expected, err something similar to the Italian bruschetta?
It’s served cold and can’t say that I’m impressed. Luckily I’m not hungry so the soup and coffee will do.
If you are in a hurry there are takeaway bags in the fridge by the entrance. I didn’t look inside but my bet is on sandwiches.
As it’s just a temporary lounge it would not be fair to judge it by the normal standard. There are places to sit, hot food and drinks to order, which is adequate I suppose.
My review of Global & Mera Lounge, Cancun T3
My four-day vacation in Cancun has come to an end and I’m heading back to London. The last stop would be the airport lounge, and I do have some expectations since Cancun relies so heavily on tourists.
British Airways uses Terminal 3 of the airport, where all airlines as well as Priority Pass share the same lounge: The Lounge by Global Lounge. It is a landside lounge located at the departure hall, before security, which is not commonly seen.
It looks quite trendy from outside, but the indoor area appears tiny.
It has all the functions though: meeting room, work desks, bar and kids’ club.
And then I found out about the first floor, which is larger and bright.
There are some small plates for you to take, but you mostly order from a menu. All items are local Mexican food, including tacos, chicken soup and cheese pie.
I appreciate the effort they make. Many airport lounges, for understandable concerns, offer only “safe” options such as fried chicken, pasta and salad, and it’s a treat to be able to enjoy something local and special. The quality is quite good by the way – all the tacos I’ve had in Cancun are amazing.
The menu for cocktails shocked me!
As many as 35 different cocktails are on offer and prepared freshly by the bartender. I don’t expect this level of experience even in first class lounges!
We ordered one Sunrise and one Sunset to pair, which would cost around $15 per glass in the hotel zone. Although the facility here isn’t great, food and drink options are impressive.
There’s actually an airside lounge as well – Mera Business Lounge. It is part of the Plaza Premium group – they don’t take Priority Pass but Amex Platinum is fine.
Although slightly bigger, the furnishing is dire with zero natural light. It’s just about to closing so no longer taking any orders. I had a quick look at the menu, which is mainly the kind of pasta and sauteed vegetables etc. Alcohol is free but no cocktails.
So it’s a wise choice that the airlines pick The Lounge over Mera. If you like cocktails, reserve plenty of time before your flight from Cancun! But don’t get too drunk to board. As it is a landside lounge that accepts Priority Pass, I suspect that arriving passengers are admitted too.
My review of LATAM VIP lounge, Santiago
I’m making my way back to Europe from Santiago on LATAM. I flew LATAM a few years back – they didn’t and still don’t have an own lounge at Peru and I don’t remember anything about the one in Brazil, but now I get to try the Santiago Lounge, which turns out to be exceptionally good.
The lounge opened in April 2022 and is proclaimed to be the largest airport lounge in South America. After emigration and security check, turn left and the lounge is in front of you upstairs.
The receptionist lady puts on a very sweet smile after scanning my boarding pass and welcomes me to their best Signature Lounge. I was a bit surprised to find out there are three VIP lounges here:
- Signature – Business Class / LATAM Black Signature & Black / Delta Diamond & Platinum
- Premium – LATAM Platinum / Delta Gold
- WorldMember – Select Santander customers
As you can see from the entry requirements, Signature is clearly the most prestigious out of the three.
The wooden “huts” are eye-catching when you walk inside the lounge.
The Furnishing is mostly wood and leather in dark colours, which fits the “Signature” branding. Many Visa Signature cards are black or dark grey.
You have many different styles of chairs to choose from:
I find the dining area more comfortable though with proper desks and power sockets.
The bar is quite fancy, and they can make barista coffee!
There is a huge buffet section that includes cold and hot food, snacks and desserts. The selection is more than great.
Today’s hot food menu is:
- Rice with nuts
- Chicken breast with citron sauce
- Tortellini stuffed with ricotta
- Roasted beef
- Potato millefeuille
- Polenta
- Pea and mint soup
They are quite tasty.
There’s a kids club on the side. The press release mentions interactive games but I didn’t see any.
Hidden at the very inside is the sleeping and rest area.
There are quite a few sleeping pods here with real beds! No reservation is required, which is a luxury that you rarely see even in first class lounges.
Finally the bathroom:
The LATAM Signature Lounge at Santiago is not only the largest airport lounge in South America, but probably also the best if I hazard a guess. Except for not offering an a-la-carte dining experience, it is pretty much up to the standard of a first class lounge, so don’t miss out if you have the opportunity!
My review of the Amex Centurion Lounge, Buenos Aires
Having finished my trip in Buenos Aires I am making my way to Santiago. There are two airports in the city – AEP, which is rather central, mainly focuses on domestic and short-haul international flights, whereas more flights depart from the remote EZE. The time difference to travel to by car though isn’t significant, so I chose EZE which has a more friendly departure time.
All international-bound passengers need to clear emigration first before arriving into the waiting hall. Terminal A and B are linked, so you should be access any lounges no matter what your gate is.
There is a Star Alliance lounge near Gate 9 which is open to Priority Pass members. Dragonpass on the other hand works with VIP Club – confusingly it has the Visa Signature brand, but when I try to enter with one (Chase Sapphire Preferred) it’s not accepted.
Surprisingly there’s an Amex Centurion Lounge as well near Gate 15. Follow the sign upstairs and you’ll see the familiar logo.
It’s opposite to the Aerolineas Argentinas Lounge (Skyteam).
Entering the lounge you’ll first come across the working area.
If you’ve been to a Centurion lounge before the living wall and wall of suitcases shouldn’t be new to you.
Moving on there’s the station for snacks and drinks with a posh Nespresso machine. There are some sandwich for grab-to-go.
Dining area:
There’s a small salad buffet and a bar.
You can help yourselves to all the alfajors in the fridge, an Argentinian dessert specialty.
The American Express Centurion Lounge at Santiago airport is very new and spacious with all the facilities you need to either work or rest. However, there’s no hot food provided, so don’t expect to have a nice meal here before your flight.
My review of Etihad First Class Lounge, Abu Dhabi
After the very impressive experience with Emirates First Suite a few months ago, I’m trying out the first class product of another Middle Eastern carrier – Etihad. Etihad occupies the entire Terminal 3 of the Abu Dhabi airport, and there are dedicated entrances for first class and business class passengers.
The check-in area is surprisingly, hmm, basic. Like many other emerging economies UAE is usually pretty good at infrastructure, and it’s fair to say the airport doesn’t leave a very good first impression.
The images above cover the entire first class check-in area. There are two rows of check-in desks but only one of them is open.
First class and business class passengers share the same fast track facilities for emigration and security check, after which you’ll see the first class lounge immediately. It is a small terminal.
There is nothing but a reception desk on the ground floor. You need to take the stairs up to enter the actual lounge.
The restaurant kind of brings me back in time to the 1990s.
The bar looks quite old-fashioned as well. Alcoholic drinks are still served during Ramadan, but there’s no menu – the bartender tells you what options are available.
The rest of the lounge sends out the same vibe. It feels more like a third-party contract lounge you often see at smaller European airports, and there’s definitely nothing lush about it…
I was trying to find a desk to sit down and write some stuff, but I failed. Trust me I checked every corner of the lounge and it’s not difficult.
The lounge prides itself in the name “Lounge & Spa”, except that the spa was closed during the pandemic and still hasn’t re-opened yet. Here are the kids club and gym:
I asked the staff whether there’s any quiet room to take a rest, and was told it’s chargeable. She brought me to a large dark room however which is free and looks like a mini cinema.
The famous cigar room that is mentioned in all the reviews:
I heard they used to gift all guests one or two cigars but it’s no longer the case. A friend of mine has some expiring Etihad miles and generously offered me to spend on the cigars. Then a member of staff explains about an ongoing IT issue that prevents them from accepting payment in miles…
Well, at least let’s have some free food! This has to be one of the ugliest and worn-out menus that I’ve ever seen in a lounge.
I don’t remember much about the food.
I’m take aback by how shabby Etihad’s first class lounge is. I understand that the terminal might be quite old and limited in terms of space and facilities, but Etihad could for sure work harder to cater to their most important customers. They could have put more effort into service and dining, instead of shutting down the spa centre and charging for everything.
I was complaining that Emirates’ first class lounge was lacking in inspiration, and after seeing how Etihad’s counterpart is I have to take it back. It’s weird to say but, even BA’s Concorde Room does a better job!
My review of The Abu Dhabi Edition
I went to Abu Dhabi in March because of Etihad’s €70 fare and I needed some winter (spring?) sun. It turned out to be a wise move – weather aside, you can find many luxury hotels here of top quality which are much cheaper than in Dubai.
Many hotels in Abu Dhabi offer in their respective VIP rate plans, e.g. Hilton Impresario, Marriott Stars and Hyatt Prive. Sofitel was the cheapest at £80 per night, others like Fairmont, Conrad, Edition, Grand Hyatt, Rosewood and Four Seasons were between £100 and £150. Remember that you are entitled to free breakfast, room upgrade and $100 credit etc courtesy of the VIP rates.
As I have never been to an Edition hotel yet, and the rate is so good, I booked the Abu Dhabi Edition for three nights. I used Airalo eSIM for data roaming in Abu Dhabi which I highly recommend.
The hotel is located at a small marina in west Abu Dhabi. It’s not central, but I find that you need Uber / Taxi to travel anywhere anyway so it doesn’t matter at all. The hotel has a residence section for long-stay guests.
Once you enter the lobby you are embraced by the signature Le Labo fragrance which is quite refreshing.
The receptionist is very familiar with Platinum and Marriott Stars benefits. Here is what Platinum members can choose as a welcome gift.
Very generously, they’ve already upgraded me to a suite on the fourth floor (it has six floors in total). The living room is massive. The blend of beige and brown colours resonates with the natural and simple theme that the Edition brand stresses.
I can’t figure out why they welcomed me with a cereal bar though…
There is a small bathroom to the left of the living room.
You can go out to the balcony from the living room, but there isn’t much of a view here due to the height and aspect. AI Hudayriat, an artificial island you can see at a distance, is worth a visit.
The bedroom also has that Scandinavian feel. I’m new to this style but I don’t diske it.
Surprisingly such a huge suite doesn’t even have a bathtub. Some friends of mine really like Le Labo and took away many bottles with them when they stayed at Edition hotels. However they’ve only got large bottles here and there are price tags attached to them…
They smell really good, but I don’t like the shampoo as it doesn’t foam at all.
The $100 credit is exchanged into 350 dirhams. The steakhouse looks way too expensive, whereas I’ve heard bad things about the other Mediterranean restaurant. By the way it happens to be Ramadan right now, but hotel restaurants operate as normal and as a tourist I don’t feel affected at all.
In the end I decided to try the room service instead.
They are certainly no delicacy, but decent enough for the price and to fill my stomach. The two meals didn’t use up all my credit so I packed some cakes from the dessert shop for my flight back.
Note that there’s no complimentary breakfast for elite members at Edition hotels, but thankfully it’s offered by the Stars program. I read some very positive reviews of the breakfast so was looking forward to it.
Conveniently the breakfast is served until 12.30pm, so you don’t need to worry about an early morning if you are suffering jetlag.
There’s both indoor and outdoor seating.
The service is a-la-carte only. I ordered the eggs benefit on the first morning which was nothing to write home about.
The cured meat is made from beef instead of pork, and I’m not used to the taste.
Then next day I ordered the chilli scrambled eggs, and I have to say it is so different to the other scrambled eggs I’ve had in the past! Very Instagrammable and tasty.
The outdoor swimming pool is pretty good but closes early at 6.30pm. There’s also a sauna room nearby inside.
There another swimming pool on the rooftop of the residence building. It’s smaller but with a view.
The gym:
It’s fair to say that my first close encounter with the Edition brand is quite positive, but by the UAE standard I don’t assume it would stand out. I would love to try out the Emirates Palace hotel some day, but either I’d need to earn more money, or Mandarin Oriental needs to allow me to spend my points…
My Review of Plaza Premium Lounge Rome T3
I’m flying from Rome to Abu Dhabi on the very cheap Etihad deal. It’s an early flight so I didn’t get to have breakfast at the Westin, but thankfully there’s a Plaza Premium Lounge at Rome’s Fiumicino airport. I’m yet to visit any Plaza Premium Lounge in continental Europe!
The Plaza Premium Lounge is located at Terminal 3, Zone E. This is the non-Schengen departure area after border control, therefore you cannot access the lounge if departing from different terminal or zone.
Take the stairs up after security and border control, and you’ll see the BA Lounge and Plaza Premium Lounge in front of you.
You can access the lounge courtesy of Amex Platinum, Priority Pass or Dragonpass. I am Immediately impressed by how big the space is and how much natural light it has. The lounge is circular-shaped which might remind you of a theatre. The curves and lighting on the ceiling are beautiful.
The bar and dining area are in the centre.
Some working desks at the side:
Many seat options that offer different levels of privacy and comfortableness.
The octagon seats bring back the memories of my overnight stay at Hong Kong airport.
The breakfast buffet includes the usual suspects:
Plus some salad and pastry.
The bartender can make a great cappuccino!
Once again I’m very pleased with what the Plaza Premium Lounge has to offer. I’m not sure how I feel about them re-joining Priority Pass, as we might not see the lounges being so quiet again.